Valentino Fall 2016; Martha Graham"
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Graham, who gave her last performance as a dancer at 75, was known for the severe intensity of her technique, as well as her theatrical appearance, her masklike face crowned by jet-black hair.
François Nars has said the dramatic makeup look he created for Marc Jacobs’s Fall 2016 show was inspired in part by Graham, who was no stranger to fashion. Having started out designing her own costumes—many of jersey—she would later collaborate with designers including Halston and Calvin Klein. Graham’s preference for minimalism seemingly extended from movement to fashion. No pastel satin toe shoes for this dancer: “Her revolution against ballet’s prettiness and decadence was total,” noted critic Linde Howe-Beck.
Here, we pulled together eight looks from the current collections that Graham might have gravitated to.